1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film sheet feeding mechanism which is used in taking out a film sheet, also to a thermal development recording apparatus having the mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a related art thermal development recording apparatus, known is a thermal development recording apparatus which comprises: an exposing section that exposes a thermal development recording material configured by a thermal development photosensitive material or a photosensitive heatsensitive recording material, to form a latent image; and a thermal developing section that heats the thermal development recording material having thereon the latent image to conduct thermal development (for example, see JP-A-2004-148662 (hereafter “JPA'662)).
The thermal development recording apparatus disclosed in JPA'662 has a configuration in which, as shown in FIG. 15, a film sheet feeding mechanism 504 that takes out one by one film sheets 502 stacked in a tray 500 straddles the film sheets 502 in a width direction and is supported by both upper side portions of the tray 500. Therefore, a supporting member which supports the film sheet feeding mechanism 504 is placed above the tray 500. In the film sheet feeding mechanism 504, a sucking member 506 which sucks each of the film sheets 502 is disposed. Therefore, the film sheet feeding mechanism 504 comprising the sucking member 506 must be lifted and moved by a stroke H in the height direction which is sufficient to cross over a sidewall of the tray 500, and a stroke L in the length direction which extends to a film transportation side. Consequently, there is a disadvantage that the whole height of a film loading section is large, and the total height of the apparatus is increased. Usually, one apparatus has a plurality of loading sections, and hence the increase of the height appears remarkable.
When the number of the film sheets 502 to be set in the tray 500 is increased, also the height of the sidewall of the tray 500 is correspondingly increased. As a result, also the vertical stroke of the sucking member 506 is increased, and the total stroke is further lengthened. In the same manner as described above, a larger space is required for the loading section. This impedes the miniaturization of the whole apparatus. When the total stroke is lengthened, the operation of the mechanism becomes unstable, and the operation speed is reduced.